Container



Dec. 6, 1955 w. E. MEISSNER CONTAINER Filed Feb. 23

D I I i l u i I I I I I I I I L\\\\\\\\\\\v INVENTOR. WILL/AM E. MEASSNER United States Patent Ofifice CONTAINER William E. Meissner, NewYork, N Y., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa.,a corporation of Delaware Application February 23, 1952, Serial No.272,955

1 Claim. (Cl. 232-43.1)

This invention relates to containers and particularly to such as aresuitable to be used as wastebaskets, laundry hampers, or for the storageof any other materials. It is particularly concerned with a container orreceptacle which is adapted to be supported on a wall, such as thevertical side Wall of a desk or the vertical wall of a room or door, orcart, ambulatory device on wheels, such as are used in hospitals, etc.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage containeror receptable adapted to receive waste materials, laundry, or any othermaterial intended to be temporarily stored which is mounted off thefloor so that it will at all times have a definitely known location.

Another object is to provide such a receptacle which is handily locatedand easily accessible for filling or receipt of deposits.

Another object is to provide such a receptacle which is easily emptiedand cannot be dislocated by the person who is charged with the emptyingthereof. It is another object to provide an off the floor containerpermitting full freedom and accessibility for cleaning the floordirectly under it without touching or moving the container at any time.These objects are particularly important in respect to wastepaperbaskets which are conventionally disposed loosely on the floor so thatthe janitor charged with the emptying thereof is free to place it, afteremptying, any place in the room frequently including locations which arerelatively inaccessible to the person for whose use-the basket isintended.

Another object is to provide a hinged receptacle in a fixed locationwhich may be emptied by swinging it out and up with one hand; therebyautomatically, or manually, opening the bottom door to eject thecontents and at the same time, in so doing, raise the discharge openingof the container a sufficiently added height (considerably higher thanthe position of the discharge opening of the container when in itsnormal hanging position-see drawings) to permit the contents to fallinto a gathering receptacle on the floorthe normal height of thecontainer discharge opening not being sufficient in many cases to permitthis operation. In other words, this swinging action permits this novelcontainer to be emptied from a greater height and in :a satisfactorymanner into another receptacle without disengaging it from its fixedlocation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle which can bepermanently attached to a vertical wall and can be made to blendintegrally'with adjoining portions of a piece of furniture, such as adesk, or cabinets on a wall or door of a room to produce a pleasing anddecorative or architectural eifect.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the drawing and thedescription thereof hereinafter.

As illustrated in the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, in section, of one embodiment,

Figure 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 2 A-A in Figure 1 ofthe latch mechanism with the guard plate therefor removed,

Figure 3 is a vertical section through a portion of a modification,

Figure 4 is a vertical section through another modification,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of still another modification,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a desk provided with a receptacle ofthe invention,

Figure 7 is a'perspective view of a modification, and

Figure 8 is a section of a detail.

In Figures 1 and 2, which show a manually operated lower door, thereceptacle at 3 is hingedly mounted such as on the pintle 4 upon thevertical end wall of a desk generally indicated at 5. Similar mountingmay be effected upon the side, front, or back wall of any other piece offurniture or even on one of the walls of the room. In all embodiments,the receptacle 3 may be open at the top 6 or it may be provided with acover 6a spring hinged at 6b, the hinges normally urging the coverupwardly into the closed position shown. While the top may behorizontal, it is preferably sloped, particularly when a hinged cover isused since the sloped arrangement requires less downward swinging togain access to the container to deposit waste material therein. Fig. 8shows how an inner head 60 on the upper end of the walls of thecontainer, such as wall 14, serves as a detent for the lid or cover 6a.This bead may be formed by the turning inward of an edge of thecontainer wall when it is made of metal or other material such ascardboard, or by a Wire 6d which may be covered along with the wall by amaterial, such as artificial leather, fabrikoid, etc. A bumper, such asa rubber knot 7 may be provided between the vertical wall 8 and the backwall 9 of the receptacle. This bumper 7 may be secured to either thewall 8 or, preferably, to the wall 9, as shown. This bumper serves tolocate the wall 9 properly with respect to the wall 8 so that thereceptacle 3 may at all times of normal repose be suspended in propervertical relationship;

The receptacle 3 is provided with a bottom door or closure 10which ishinged to the back wall 9 by the hinge 11. Latch means is provided forholding the door 10 in closed relationship to the remainder of thereceptacle and for releasing the door 10 so that by its own weight itwill open when the receptacle 3 is swung outwardly on its hinge 4 fromthe position of rest shown in solid lines in Figure 1. This latch meanscomprises a latch 12 reciprocably mounted in a small casing 13 securedto the inside front wall 14 of the receptacle 3 such as by screws 15. Aspring 16 normally urges the latch into latching position shown inFigure 2 where it engages .the hook or catch 17 secured to the door 10.A handle 18 is pivotally mounted on the front wall 14 of the receptacleand there is fixedly attached to the shank or shaft 19 of the handle anarm 20 which is pivotally connected at 21 to a link 22 which passesthrough a guiding member 23 pivotally secured at 24 to the inside of thefront wall 14 of the receptacle. The lower end of the link 22 isprovided with a slot 25 into which a pin 26 extends. This pin 26 isfixed to the latch 12 and extends through a horizontal slot 27 in casing13. A guard plate 28 may be fixed to the inside of the front wall ofcasing 3 to prevent any of the contents of the receptacle frominterfering with the operation of the latch system.

Means is provided on the door it) for swinging the door 10 into closedposition as the receptacle 3 is moved into its normal position of reposeshown in solid lines in Figure 1. This means comprises the arcuate arm29 fixedly secured to the door and extending backwardly Patented Dec. 6,19 55 so that it bears against the vertical wall 8. In eifect, the arm29 serves as a cam lever for swinging the door closed as the receptacle3 is moved from its outer dumping position shown in dotted lines inFigure l toward its normal position of repose.

In operation, the receptacle is normally disposed in the solid lineposition where it is adapted to receive any materials desired to bedisposed of. The person, such as the janitor, who desires to remove thecontents merely grasps the handle 18 and swings the receptacle 3outwardly into the dotted line position shown in Figure l, where thereceptacle 3 is disposed above his collecting bag or the like indicatedin dotted lines at 30. As the receptacle obtains the position shown, theoperator turns the handle 18 to release the door 10 which swings intothe dotted line position, allowing the contents to be dumped out intothe bag 30. Detent or stop 29a is engaged by arm 29 to limit its swing.After the complete discharge of the contents, the operator merelyreturns the receptacle 3 to its normal position of repose allowinghandle 18 to turn freely during the last part of this motion. As thereceptacle 3 approaches the vertical wall 8, the curved arm 29 engagesthe wall 8 and gradually swings the door 10 into closed position untilthe catch 17 is engaged by the latch 12 in the locking position shown inFigure 2.

Figure 3 shows a modification with an automatically operated lower doorin which the arcuate cam arm 29 is omitted and the latch mechanism aswell as the plate 28 is omitted. In this embodiment, a fixed shelf 31 issecured to the vertical wall 8 so that it is in contact with the bottomsurface of the door 10 when the receptacle 3 is in the normal positionof repose and holds the door 10 in the closed position. In thisembodiment, the handle 18 may freely rotate on the wall 14 of thereceptacle 3 or it may be fixed thereto in non-rotatable fashion. Whenthe handle is grasped and the receptacle pulled outwardly from the wall8, the door 10 swings downwardly into the open position about its hinge11 by its own weight. After discharge of the contents, the swinging ofthe receptacle 3 back into its normal position of repose brings the door19 into contact with the outer portion 32 of the shelf 31. Preferablythis outer portion 32 is curved to cause the door 10 to swing graduallyupwardly as the hinge 11 passes back over the shelf 31. When thereceptacle 3 is swung clear back against the wall 8 as far as the bumper7 will permit, the door 10 is completely closed and adequately supportedby the shelf 31 so that regardless of the loading of the door 10 by thecontents of the receptacle 3, there is no tendency for the door to beopened.

Figure 4 shows another modification in which the door 10 is hinged at 11but it is supported in closed position by spring means, such as byproviding conventional spring hinges at 11a. In this embodiment, aflexible connection, such as a cord, rubber band or chain 34 isconnected at one end either to the door 10 itself at a location spacedfrom the hinge axis or to a projection 35 secured to the door 10. Theother end of the flexible connection 34 is secured either to the wall 8or to any suitable projection or fastening such as indicated at 36rigidly secured to the wall. Preferably, the connection at 36 is spacedalong the wall 8 at some point adjacent the lower portion of thereceptacle 3 so that when the flexible connection 34 first reaches anextended condition during the outward swing of the receptacle 3, it willtake a straight line position which is spaced below the axis of binge11a in that position of the receptacle.

When the operator swings the receptacle 3, as mounted in Figure 4,outwardly for dumping purposes, the door remains closed during theinitial part of the swing until the flexible connection 34 is extendedinto a taut condition. Motion beyond this position pulls the door downinto its open position against the action of the spring hinges. Afterdumping, returning of the receptacle into its normal position of reposeallows the spring to close the door and finally relaxes the flexibleconnection 34 into the condition of free suspension as shown in solidlines in Figure 4.

Figure 5 shows another embodiment having an automatically operated lowerdoor in which the receptacle 3 is hingedly mounted at its upper endalong its back wall as at 4 as in all of the other embodiments. In thisembodiment, the door 10 is secured to the back wall 9 of the receptacle3 by hinges 11 which may or may not be spring hinges. One or moreslotted brackets 37 are secured to the wall 8 and project outwardlytherefrom, such as at a position below the receptacle 3. Each arm 37 isprovided with a slot 38 and the door 10 has fixedly secured thereto anarm 39 having a laterally projecting pin 40 extending into the slot 38.If desired, a similar set of arms 37 and 39 may be disposed adjacenteach side of the receptacle 10. The portion of the slot 38 adjacent thewall 8 is preferably an arc having its center on the axis of hinge 4 sothat as the receptacle 3 is swung outwardly into dumping position, thefirst part of this motion does not change the relationship of the doorto the receptacle, thereby keeping it closed. The outer portion of theslot 38, i. e. the portion away from wall 8, is inclined out of the arcor curved downwardly so that upon continued swing of the receptaclebeyond the first arcuate portion of the slot, pin 40 when travelingalong slot 38 opens the door 10. This is a positive opening action andduring the return swing of the receptacle into its normal position ofrepose, a similar but opposite positive closing action is exerted uponthe door 10.

In Figure 6, the receptacle 3 is pivotally mounted at 4 on the desk 5 asin the other embodiments. However, flanking sections 41 and 42 may befixedly mounted on the desk wall adjacent the receptacle and have upperand outer panels flush with the-top and front of the, receptacle 3 toprovide a pleasing, streamlined appearance.

In Figure 7, the receptacle comprises a stationary openfaced innerretainer or pouch having a back panel 43 fixed to the wall of the desk5, a sloped bottom panel 44 and two side panels 45 and 46. The severalpanels are preferably rigidly connected together. The inner retainercooperates with an outer retainer which may comprise an upper horizontalstrip 47 and is hinged to the desk wall at 48. The outer retainer alsocomprises a front panel 49, which extends down to the outer edge of thesloped bottom 44, and side panels of rectangular shape when the top ofthe receptacle is horizontal or of trapezoidal shape when the receptaclehas a sloped top. The panels 50 rigidly interconnect the strip 47 andthe front panel 49, and the width of the panel 49 is slightly greaterthan the width of the bottom 44 so that side panels 50 of the outerretainer snugly slide over the side panels 45 and 46 of the innerretainer. A springhinged top cover may be provided as in the embodimentof .Fig. 1 and the front edges of the panels 45 and 46 may correspond inshape to the adjacent edges of side panels 50 or they may be curved asshown. The bottom edges of outer panels 50 may take any contour desiredfrom the slope of panel 44 to a horizontal as shown. In operation, theouter retainer is swung up and out by the knob 51, the relative movementbetween the inner and outer retainers in effect providing a dischargeopening-or bottom door therebetween, the slope of the panel 44 causingthe con tents of the receptacle to be discharged outwardly from the deskinto a container 30a.

All of the embodiments of the inventoin are characterized by simplicityand facility of operation. It is particularly noteworthy that the personcharged with re moving the contents of the receptacle needs only onehand for simultaneously swinging the receptacle into dumping positionand in effect opening a door at the bottom for dumping. With the otherhand, the operator is free to adjust the collecting bag or othercontainer or to assist the discharge of the contents into the collectionreceptacle resting upon the fioor. The receptacle or dOO are uit ieiifi'fij g g ously, to this end, in tacle; the door 911's first raised upover the a delayed acti so and then, as the hinged g 0f the lecei i 316door suddenly opens Wide container i swung ffie lip into the receivingrecep- Y t action, d o'us manner at an angle with the rack? in anadvaa'tely 6 to 45 degrees. At this point vemcal of plyln the same planeas the back wall of the door ma acts as a chute for the contents of thecontairr" v i understood that changes and variations may b withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of a ention as defined in theappended claim.

plaim: 11 combination, a receptacle having a front wall and a back wallrigidly secured together and having a receiving opening extendingbetween the upper ends of the front and back walls, a support having anapproximately vertical wall surface extending substantially below saidreceptacle, hinge means secured to the upper end of the back wall of thereceptacle for pivotally mounting the receptacle about a horizontal axison said wall surface, a closure for the bottom of the receptaclehingedly mounted at the lower terminus of the back wall thereof andextending between the front and back walls thereof, spring means forurging the closure into closed position with respect to the receptacle,and means for opening the closure when the receptacle is swung outwardlyfrom said wall surface comprising a flexible connection between saidWall surface and said closure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS710,835 Berck Dec. 7, 1902 1,364,126 Martel Jan. 4, 1921 1,485,496Elliott Mar. 4, 1924 1,594,535 Lindbeck Aug. 3, 1926 1,879,858Schroedter Sept. 27, 1932 2,303,598 Alley Dec. 1, 1942 2,507,785 HartmanMar. 16, 1950 2,575,441 Burnett Nov. 20, 1951

